Vic Wooten...

[bubinga5]

ok ive been studying Victor Wooten...i say study..its more like my mouth is open.....Ive come to the conclusion Victor Wooten is the best bassist who has ever lived.. , his pushing forward of the instrument...his insight to what the instrument can do is beyond anyone else...
ive never seen a bassist use it in so many ways.....boundries he has none.. every time i show someone who knows nothing about bass, or whats the instrumentis capable of i always show the first clip....not everyone likes but you cant deny his force... hes just just incredible

i dont want to be like him and by god i will never be, but i cant say im not blown away...i showed it to my dad who is a pianist and he said in his own words ..."crikey son ive never seen an electric bass played like that before"

what a wonderful pioneer of our craft.... im sure Jaco would be blown away... i wonder what he would make of him...

my f***in god this slap is out of this world..

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28kHOEiTNhI&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28kHOEiTNhI...feature=related[/url]

this groove is on another planet...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-hyEYi0O-M&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-hyEYi0O-M...feature=related[/url]

i bet most will get a lick or a feel from him...

i am a Marcus Miller fan all the way, but i cant not be blown away by VW and his Fodera...

dont care what anyone says...i say there are different opinions, styles...but for pure groove and seemless technique....he is the master bar none.......bring forth a bassist than can match him...

Edited November 20, 2010 by bubinga5

[Raslee]

I have found his Groove Workshops DVD's the most inspiring bass video's to date...i love his spirituality about bass playing.

[risingson]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1030053' date='Nov 20 2010, 01:11 AM']ok ive been studying Victor Wooten...i say study..its more like my mouth is open.....Ive come to the conclusion Victor Wooten is the best bassist who has ever lived..[/quote]

Really? I understand his contribution to the instrument is substantial and his attitude as a musician is impressive (hugely impressive), despite the fact I do not listen to his work. But the best? It's a thorny issue. I would argue his bass playing has had no direct impact on popular music whatsoever, whereas irrefutably James Jamerson's has.

[Delberthot]

is there such a thing as 'best'?

Its all down to what you like and if you think its amazing then I am genuinly happy for you cos its likely that listening to it may very well improve your own playing. That is when you're not changing your avatar every 5 minutes

I have deja vu cos what I am about to type next I'm sure I've already posted but - what we hear of all of these virtuosos is the widdly boring stuff on youtube. You never hear the meat and potatoes lines that these musicians play regularly which makes a lot of people think that these guys are widdly frustrated guitarists

Edited November 20, 2010 by Delberthot

[Doddy]

[quote name='risingson' post='1030071' date='Nov 20 2010, 01:44 AM']Really? I understand his contribution to the instrument is substantial and his attitude as a musician is impressive (hugely impressive), despite the fact I do not listen to his work. But the best? It's a thorny issue. I would argue his bass playing has had no direct impact on popular music whatsoever, whereas irrefutably James Jamerson's has.[/quote]

True,but having an impact on popular music and being 'the best' aren't necessarily related. I don't think I'm out of line by saying that what someone like
Wooten does on the bass is far in advance technically than Jamerson. Does that make Wooten better than Jameson? In some aspects,yes it does,but
no one will ever deny the awesome lines that Jamerson laid down,and how they affected future players-including Wooten.

Bubinga...I'm glad you mentioned Victors groove playing.Too many people just see the clinic and demo videos and never hear him lay it down. I saw him
with the Flecktones the other year,and he was grooving like crazy all night.

[AndyTravis]

Technical ability and theoretical knowledge...agreed.

He's at a point where he could outplay most, and the recordings he appears on are to exibit his huge talent...he's cut his own niche, sure.

I'm sure he could be a session guy to the likes of Madonna, Prince or whoever, and play to the tune 100% perfectly.

He's one of my major inspirations...he makes me want to be better.

I'd like to say he lacks soul where Jaco didn't, or groove where Rocco is the boss. But to be fair, he's bloody good.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50xzhDO9lI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50xzhDO9lI[/url]

Fretless, Support, Solo, Support, Solo...working his ring off.

[BassBunny]

[quote name='Rasta' post='1030058' date='Nov 20 2010, 01:19 AM']I have found his Groove Workshops DVD's the most inspiring bass video's to date...i love his spirituality about bass playing. [/quote]

+1 to that. Great DVD.

[YouMa]

i hate to say it but hes even better than me a true master,makes me want to hang up my bass.damm!

[thisnameistaken]

I think his playing is too cheesy for me. It's like chart music - yes some of it is very slick but it's schmaltzy nonsense you've heard a million times before. I also really don't like his tone.

The drummer was excellent though, I do like listening to a good drummer.

[Delberthot]

like Stanley Clarke and Steve Gadd? - oh yes

[Oakbear]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1030090' date='Nov 20 2010, 02:42 AM']I think his playing is too cheesy for me. It's like chart music - yes some of it is very slick but it's schmaltzy nonsense you've heard a million times before. I also really don't like his tone.[/quote]

+1

[JakeBrownBass]

I love Victor. He really is my biggest inspiration!

Do i try to play like him?? no, but anytime i see him play makes me want to play more & better myself.

I could spend countless hours watching him on youtube but i couldn't do this with any other player.

For me, this is the best "bass solo" i have ever ever heard and i've not heard anything else come close since.

[risingson]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1030078' date='Nov 20 2010, 01:58 AM']True,but having an impact on popular music and being 'the best' aren't necessarily related. I don't think I'm out of line by saying that what someone like
Wooten does on the bass is far in advance technically than Jamerson. Does that make Wooten better than Jameson? In some aspects,yes it does,but
no one will ever deny the awesome lines that Jamerson laid down,and how they affected future players-including Wooten.[/quote]

I don't think 'the best who ever lived' should ever be used to describe any given musician, although I understand Bubinga's use of the term concerning a player he holds with such high regard in this case. But whilst VW may have changed the way we view bass playing, JJ changed the way we hear music, his impact reverberates through virtually all music that preceded the advent of Motown, and yes, I believe this to be more important.

Technicality and musicality are not intrinsically linked. The first is simply there to complement the latter, never the other way round. To say that Wooten is technically more proficient than Jamerson actually isn't right. Neither can/could play like each other, and both know/knew a lot of theory. Unfortunately it's why comparing bass players can be so very futile, there never are any real conclusions to be drawn... however, Jamerson was hugely technically proficient if you consider his feel and choice of notes and his sheer volume of output (and not just mediocre output, more or less consistently brilliant output in terms of commercial performance and critical acclaim in his heyday), it becomes very apparent that his impact - not only bass playing - but on 20th century music is massive, and eclipses basically every other electric bass player I can think of in terms of importance.

EDIT - I should add that whilst I'm not a fan of Victor Wooten's music I think he's a brilliant player with a great feel, and is as every bit as important a bass player as he's made out to be. The 'best bass player who ever lived' though? No way!

Edited November 20, 2010 by risingson

[Chris2112]

I love Victor Wooten, he is just amazing beyond amazing.

This video has an immense groove starting at 01:52. And man, when he gets into it, it flies! This has to be one of my all time favourite videos on the net, I have watched it hundreds of times.

.

It's not available on youtube, but if you go on itunes and search for a song called "Be The Change by Guitar Prasanna you'll hear more of Victor at his best, with a typically giant tunderous groove at the end!

[chris_b]

I saw VW earlier this year and he really is an amazing player, but even so, I prefer his playing in a band context.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrlpFA5BbuU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrlpFA5BbuU[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50xzhDO9lI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50xzhDO9lI[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1030289' date='Nov 20 2010, 11:53 AM']I saw VW earlier this year and he really is an amazing player, but even so, I prefer his playing in a band context.[/quote]
My feelings exactly - having seen him with The Flecktones I loved his playing as part an excellent virtuoso band. While the stunt-bass stuff is blindingly impressive when he's actually doing it 15 feet away from you, it's questionable (to me, at least) how musical most of it is. Unfortunately I can't help getting the feeling it's the pyrotechnics, rather than his ability & taste as a consummate ensemble player which have people bandying around words like "best".

I take exception to "best" in the context of music. It implies a creative art is some kind of competition.

Jon.

[urb]

I've loved VW's playing for around 20 years now and I still love listening to him - there are guys that know more than him on a theorehtical level and there are people like Hadrien Feraud for example who can go even MORE technical than him - but fundamentally Vic's secret is to always challenge himself, push himself to improvise in the moment and do it all with imense feeling and groove. Yes he can get too technical sometimes, but the way he mixes up his techniques in surprising, entertaining and musical ways is always inspiring but for me it's his groove and total command of the humble 4 string bass that keeps me coming back to him time and again, probably more so than any other bassist I've listened to over the years.

[steve-soar]

Vic IS it and a bit.

[RhysP]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1030053' date='Nov 20 2010, 01:11 AM']I bet most will get a lick or a feel from him...[/quote]
So he's a bit of a slut too is he?

[steve-soar]

[quote name='RhysP' post='1030571' date='Nov 20 2010, 04:23 PM']So he's a bit of a slut too is he? [/quote]No nosh though, not with them teeth.

[RhysP]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1030603' date='Nov 20 2010, 05:01 PM']No nosh though, not with them teeth.[/quote]

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1030465' date='Nov 20 2010, 02:38 PM']Vic IS it and a bit.

[/quote]

That is ace.

[jakenewmanbass]

I saw a Flecktones gig once and Vic was jaw droppingly good, so it was a great live show. I wouldn't really listen to albums of the stuff he's involved with but that is a pure taste decision, I think he's a really great player. Boy, what a feel, he IS the groove when he plays, you can see the groove trance in his eyes.

[steve-soar]

you can see the groove trance in his eyes.

[molan]

Having seen him recently as the 'house' bass player for Bootsy and I can definitely say that he can hold down a simple funk groove & make it sound great without even remotely trying to play any of the flashy stuff

I also saw him trying out a bass on the Fodera stand & just playing away quietly to himself - I was maybe 3-4 feet away and his technique mesmerised me!